In many developed countries the construction and use of buildings is a leading consumer of energy and producer of greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable architecture seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of buildings by efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, energy, and development space. Sustainable architecture uses a conscious approach to energy and ecological conservation in the design of the built environment
Green building (also known as green construction or sustainable building) refers to both a structure and the using of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle, from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. Green building rating systems such as BREEAM (United Kingdom), LEED® (United States and Canada), DGNB (Germany), CASBEE (Japan), and VERDEGBCe (Spain) help consumers determine a structure's level of environmental performance. These systems award credits for building features that support green design in categories such as location and maintenance of building site, conservation of water, energy, and building materials, and occupant comfort and health. The number of credits generally determines the level of achievement. Additionally, green building codes and standards, such as the International Code Council's draft International Green Construction Code, are rules created by standards development organizations that establish minimum requirements for elements of green building such as materials or heating and cooling.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) is a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings in the United States and Canada which was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED® certification of a building is recognized across the globe as the premier mark of achievement in green building. LEED®-certified buildings cost less to operate, reducing energy and water bills by as much as 40%. Businesses and organizations across the globe use LEED® to increase the efficiency of their buildings, freeing up valuable resources that can be used to create new jobs, attract and retain top talent, expand operations and invest in emerging technologies.
The intent of LEED® is to provide a standard certification process that registers buildings constructed with environmental performance, efficiency, and occupant health and well-being as primary goals. Buildings receive points towards varying levels of certification based on the set of categories established by the USGBC. For example, points are awarded with respect to the following features:                Site development that protects or restores habitat or that maximizes open space;        Storm water design to minimize impervious surfaces;        Heat island effect that uses alternative surfaces and nonstructural techniques to reduce imperviousness and promote infiltration, reducing pollutant loadings and use of vegetated roofs;        Water efficiency by use of green roofing system without permanent irrigation or that minimizes potable consumption;        Energy and optimization by establishing the minimum level of energy efficiency for the building and systems; and        Materials and resources that reuse building materials and products to reduce demand for virgin materials and reduce waste, use of recycled components and use of regional material that has been manufactured and assembled within 500 miles of the building.        
Green roofing systems installed on 50% of more of a roof surface virtually guarantees 2 point toward LEED® certification, and can contribute an additional 7+ points. This is almost 20% of the total number of points needed for a building to be LEED®-certified.
Low slope roofing systems have been developed for use with buildings. Low slope roofing systems commonly include a structural deck made of metal or concrete that is covered with a layer of insulation, and the insulation is then covered with a waterproof membrane. A commercial low slope roof system may use single-ply membranes of pre-fabricated sheets rolled onto the roof and attached with mechanical fasteners, adhered with chemical adhesives, or held in place with ballast such as gravel, stones, or pavers; built-up roofs consisting of a base sheet, fabric reinforcement layers, and a dark protective surface layer; modified bitumen sheet membranes having one or more layers of plastic or rubber material with reinforcing fabrics, and surfaced with mineral granules or a smooth finish; and spray polyurethane foam roofs constructed by mixing two liquid chemicals together that react and expand to form one solid piece that adheres to the roof then having a protective coating such as metal or tile placed over the polyurethane.
Low slope roofing insulation became more prevalent during the 1960's and forward as increasingly more buildings became air conditioned and as the cost of energy, both for heating and cooling rose dramatically. Currently insulation levels may exceed R30 as specified by code or because of the building's use and geographic location.
Insulated panels are known to be used on wall and roof building applications to form part or all of the building envelope. An insulation panel typically has opposing inside and outside surfaces with an insulating foam core adhered between the surfaces. The panel can then be mounted onto support structures to form the wall or roof application in a building.
In the luxury real estate market, buyers in high rise structures seek living spaces on the roof of the structure for providing such amenities as gardens and pools. A green roof, or living roof, is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage and irrigation systems.
One disadvantage of green roofs is the additional mass of soil and retained water that can place a large strain on the structural support of a building. Some types of green roofs also have more demanding structural standards such as in seismic and hurricane-prone regions of the world. Some existing buildings cannot be retrofitted with certain kinds of green roofing because of the weight load of the substrate and vegetation exceeds permitted static loading. For example, the weight of a green roof caused the collapse of a large sports hall roof in Hong Kong in 2016.
One known way to provide rooftop green spaces for high rises is through the use of Inverted Roof Membrane Assemblies (IRMA), also called a Protected Membrane Roof system (PMR) or a Built-up-Roof (BUR) system. In IMRAs, typically a waterproofing membrane is adhered to the roof structure of the building, then a protective moisture resistant insulation layer is laid to protect the membrane from atmospheric degradation such as sun, wind and rain, and also foot traffic. A layer of mesh may be laid to filter for debris, and the insulation layer is held down with a form of ballast such as gravel wooden decking or paving stones. A camber, or slope, of the roof is created during construction to carry water to a roof drain. An example of a IRMA is shown in FIG. 1.
Tire recycling or rubber recycling is the process of recycling vehicles' tires that are no longer suitable for use on vehicles due to wear or irreparable damage. These tires are a large and difficult source of waste due to the large volume produced, and the fact they contain a number of components that are ecologically problematic. In the United States alone the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that roughly 300 million scrap tires are generated annually. Over 60 million of these tires end up in landfills, ocean, lakes, greatly harming our environment. Local recycling facilities are having a very difficult time dealing with this problem because of the enormous quantities of tires being generated each year and with only so many limited re-use options available to them.
The same characteristics that make waste tires problematic—cheap availability, bulk, and resilience—also make them attractive targets for recycling. Tires are known to be recycled for use on basketball courts, in hot melt asphalt, for increasing burning value of RDF in incineration plants and new shoe products.